


Two-edged Souls

by halelikehell (Asko)



Series: Dæmon AUs [12]
Category: Band of Brothers, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Canon-Typical Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-08-24 15:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16643198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asko/pseuds/halelikehell
Summary: “The Airborne was a new division - the only one with a weight limit. The soldiers had to be able to carry their daemon and jump from an airplane with it secured to their body and the parachute. Though bird daemons had no weight limit for natural reasons. For some it was easy, for others it was the hardest moment. There were tests during the training where you had to be able to hold your daemon up in the air for a certain time, if you failed - you were out.”Introductions of some soldiers and their daemons.





	1. Prologue

  
**Prologue**

  
“ _The Airborne was a new division - the only one with a weight limit. The soldiers had to be able to carry their daemon and jump from an airplane with it secured to their body and the parachute. Though bird daemons had no weight limit for natural reasons. For some it was easy, for others it was the hardest moment. There were tests during the training where you had to be able to hold your daemon up in the air for a certain time, if you failed - you were out_.”  
\- Quote from “ _The 101st Airborne Division’s History_ ”  
  
“ _You never got quite used to it. People didn’t aim with intent to hurt the daemons, or at least we didn’t. I don’t know about the Germans. But during the war’s chaos, it was impossible to not hurt a daemon sometimes, with bullets or bombs. And to see a daemon explode in dust or slowly die in a soldier’s arms … Excuse me, I … I can’t even begin to describe it. It was common that if a daemon died before the soldier it didn’t take long before the man died too. Not just from wounds mind you, it was like something broke in their brain. They faded away, didn’t care anymore. I have seen men run straight into the enemy’s fire yelling like mad, … like there was nothing left to live for. There were a few who survived anyway, but I don’t think they were ever quite the same again, even after the war. ‘Cause, can you even imagine living on without your daemon?_ ”  
\- Excerpt from an interview with a WW2 veteran.

 


	2. Dick, Nix and Speirs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of Walburga, Clara and Donella.

 

**  
Richard Winters** \- **Walburga** (Little River Duck Dog/Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever)

Walburga might’ve looked like one of these common nice golden dogs from far away. But when you got closer it became clearer that she was something else, somewhat smaller and redder with white markings. Like the human there was more to her than just the look.  
  
Nix remembered clearly the time Dick had looked over the battlefield from the trench and then without looking at her he formed a support with his hands she could jump up on and he just sent her up from the trench so that she hit the ground running to the other trench. The whole time without even thinking about the enemy’s fire. Nix knew that you could communicate with your daemon with just a look, he did sometimes, but Dick and Walburga’s relationship was more than that. They hadn’t even looked at each other but yet she had immediately known what he wanted and done it without hesitation. Nix had later on heard about the moment when they had run across a field to attack a platoon of German soldiers. The men had been whispering with respect and awe in their voices about the sight of their leader sprinting with Walburga running next to him both in full speed without any hesitation while the rest of them were still waiting further back for the red smoke. Nix was honestly grateful that he hadn't seen it, he was sure that he would've gotten a heart attack. But he recognized that feeling he heard in their voices, that awe of being around someone who was so much better than themselves.  
  
“You two are crazy you know that?” He told them and Dick just smiled his slightly crooked confused smile and she eerily similar turned her head slightly to the side. He didn’t think he would ever meet someone like them ever again.

**  
Lewis Nixon** \- **Clara** (American mink)

“It’s so COLD!” Clara whined and burrowed deeper below his shirt.  
  
“We all know that”, Nix muttered and winced when her cold paws reached his stomach. Dick smiled amused as he saw Nix’s shirt and coat move around without him moving.  
  
“Hey watch it! I’m not much warmer than you, you know”, Nix looked down his coat. “At least you got fur.”  
  
Malarkey and Skip who were standing close by trying to catch some warmth suddenly sniggered.  
  
“Something moving in your pants Sir?”  
“With fur?”  
  
Dick barely contained his snort. Nix glared at him but he could see the amusement in his eyes.  
  
“Hey!” Her head popped up by Nix’s neck and glared at the two privates. “I’m way prettier than that thing!”  
  
“I can’t even be embarrassed by you anymore”, Nix muttered with a sigh as Malarkey and Skip struggled to not burst into laughter. Clara’s breath visibly hitched when the cold touched her black nose and she yelped before she burrowed down in Nix’s coat again.  
  
“You spoiled brat”, Nix muttered with a soft smile on his lips. Dick heard that and smiled softly to himself, he knew how much Clara meant to Nix no matter what he said.

  
**Ronald Speirs** \- **Donella** (Wolf)

If anything was scarier than Speirs it was his daemon. Donella followed him everywhere only one step behind like his quiet black shadow with glowing eyes that didn’t seem to miss anything. The men would have called her a lone wolf if they hadn’t seen how other daemons could walk up to her to warm themselves in her fur without her even resisting. The smaller ones burrowed into the black fur to sleep with her watchful eyes coolly watching the environment to keep guard. The larger ones, especially Lip’s, liked to lie down close to her with body contact as she reassured them with her steady presence. Malarkey swore he had once seen Speirs give her a look when he was about to walk out of a room but because Roe’s little daemon was sleeping in her fur, she had glared back without even moving one paw. Speirs had then glared at Roe until he noticed that his daemon was troubling him as Donella wouldn’t move until the other daemon woke up. Apparently, her gaze was even more effective than Speirs’ own that he didn’t even bother trying to make her change her mind, though the others doubted his story as it just seemed so unlike the feared Commander.  
  
Dick himself suspected that Speirs found it a bit embarrassing that she displayed that much fondness for the other daemons so clearly in front of others but she on the other hand never seemed to be bothered by that nor that her human was. And they were still terrifying enough in battle that the men respected, or rather feared, them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Facts:  
> Walburga means "ruler of the fortress" from the Germanic elements wald "power, leader, ruler" and burg "fortress". This was the name of an 8th-century saint from England who did missionary work in Germany. While Richard means "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements ric "power, rule" and hard "brave, hardy".
> 
> The name Clara is a feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus which meant "clear, bright, famous". Fitting as the name Lewis came from Louis, which was the name of the Sun King. 
> 
> Donella is the feminine form of Donald, which is a Scottish (and English) name from the Gaelic name Domhnall which means "ruler of the world", composed of the old Celtic elements dumno "world" and val "rule".


	3. Buck, Lip and Luz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of Marlowe, Nanna and Iria.

  
**Lynn Compton** \- **Marlowe** (Siberian Husky)  
  
They were a sight together with his bright hair and eyes, and her white fur and blue eyes. They took up space wherever they showed up with his bright smile and her happy chattering. The Easy Company took them to their hearts almost immediately when they met for the first time in England. They usually didn’t accept strangers so easily but that couple melted everyone’s hearts and they loved the men back with their fierce loyalty.  
  
But at the moment everything seemed shattered into the dark. Buck’s hands were shaking and hiding his eyes like he wanted to find a shelter from the world. Marlowe was hiding her tail which she had never done before, even during hard battles, and whined meekly looking around and wondering what was going to hit them next. That glowing loyalty that was their strength turned out to also be their weakness. So many men had disappeared and Marlowe, Buck’s spirit and soul, showed so clearly that they had reached their end; howling painfully in mourning for her pack members as dust sprinkled softly from her fur.  
  
Towards the end of the war the company were delighted to see them again when they returned for a visit, Buck had his light in his eyes back and Marlowe yipped in happiness with her tail never stopped wagging. And no dust fell from her fur even when she tumbled around on the ground playing with the other daemons.

  
 **Carwood Lipton** \- **Nanna** (Tibetan Mastiff)

“Is that a bear?” The others had wondered the first time they saw Lip and his daemon. “It’s huge!”  
  
“She’s a dog”, Lip had smiled with his daemon wagging her tail next to him happy to prove that she was a dog.  
  
Lip had it the worst during the jumps. His daemon, Nanna, had barely passed the weight limit during the training. It was a risk as too much weight could lead to that they fell too fast or the lines snapped. But Lip was somehow able to lift his big daemon while she looked pleased snuggling him like an over-sized teddy bear in his arms; he explained that he had been lifting her ever since they were children so he was used to it. And Nanna loved it, but on the other hand it was hard to find something that she didn’t like.  
  
Nanna was the kindest daemon of them all and comforted many soldiers during the war. In Bastogne she saved many men just from snuggling up to them and warming them up from the cold. She never complained that it was cold, even when her paws got frostbite and Roe had to tend to her. It wasn’t until he threatened that he would pull Lip and Nanna off the line they took it easier. Nix once said it was like having two sergeants in one, as she had the habit to wander around by herself to check on the men. But if you saw Nanna it was for certain that Lip wasn’t far away.

  
 **George Luz** \- **Iria** (Corsac Fox)  
  
It would be hard to find more matching daemon and human than Luz and his fox. One memorable moment for the men was when they tricked Sobel during the training. Sobel had been lost, once again, and as impatient they all were the other privates didn’t have a hard time to convince Luz to trick Sobel with imitating Major Horton. But Iria had just given him a look and Luz grinned wickedly. In front of the other confused soldiers Iria got low to the ground and suddenly rushed out from their place behind the trees so she was able to go around Sobel without him seeing her and to the other side of the fence.  
  
“What are you doing?” One of the others hissed a bit worried.  
  
But Luz just hushed him and soon they heard a voice that sounded a lot like major Horton shout across the field - “What’s the holdup Sobel?!”  
  
The other privates startled in surprise almost as much as Sobel did. But when they saw Luz full out grinning, they quickly realized what Luz and Iria had done. They all had a hard time after that to not burst out into laughter despite Luz hushing them. When Iria joined them again a little later on Muck spoke up with a slightly disappointed tone in his voice - “You didn’t tell us that Iria could do that as well as you.”  
  
“You’re wrong”, Iria spoke up from where she was tripping next to Luz looking pleased. “I’m better than him. Who do you think taught him?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Facts:  
> Marlowe is from a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. While Buck's name Lynn come from an English surname which was derived from Welsh llyn "lake".
> 
> Nanna's name came from Nana in Peter Pan, that was basically my image of her. A beloved and very loving large dog. But Nanna is also a name that is possibly derived from Old Norse nanþ meaning "daring, brave". Nanna the daemon was named by Lip himself when they were small, quite possibly his first word.
> 
> Iria is possibly a Portuguese and Galician form of Irene, which in turn is from a Greek word derived from a word meaning "peace". Iria was the name of a 7th-century saint (also known as Irene) from Tomar in Portugal.


	4. Roe, Toye and Bill Guarnere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of Bonnie, Jody and Roz

 

 **  
Eugene Roe** \- **Bonnie** (Mourning dove)  
  
Roe didn’t say thank her a lot but he didn’t need to. Bonnie was a part of him and she already knew. At first when they had arrived at the camp people had looked a bit doubtful at his daemon, after all what could a dove do at a battlefield. Some people had even said that it was spooky when Bonnie made her cooing call, someone even said that it sounded like an owl mourning with an eerie echo. But the truth that showed itself later was that it was thanks to Bonnie that Roe’s and several other’s lives had been saved, and they both knew it.  
  
For Roe personally her soft low crooning always reached his ears when he, lost in his mind, was far away from everything that was happening, bringing him back into the present with her sound when no one else could. A soft wing lightly stroking his cheek was enough to fill him with a little more strength to go on to try save one more person.  
  
Bonnie’s slender but fast wings brought her small shape faster across the battlefields than what Roe, or anyone, could move. She could fly fast and look for the wounded soldiers with a smaller risk of getting hit. Roe had his heart in his throat the first couple of times she disappeared out of sight in the middle of a battlefield, but it was their job and they had to swallow down that terrifying fear to keep going. And her loud call, the same sound that people had called spooky, always reached him whenever her words couldn’t so he always found her and the wounded she had found.  
  
Those soldiers who had been looking doubtful at that little dove soon changed their minds. That spooky call became a source of comfort for the soldiers, especially when they were wounded. Whenever they heard the call echoing, they knew that Bonnie had found them and Roe would arrive with help soon. As long as that sound was heard everything was going to be fine.  
  
“ _Woo-oo-oo-oooo_ ”

  
 **Joseph Toye** \- **Jody** (Wild Boar)  
  
“Oh shit”, Toye muttered as he was still dizzy but he was able to slightly raise himself up on his elbows to look down on his legs. Or one leg, as the other one wasn’t there anymore but lying a little bit further away from his body.  
  
“Shit… Jody... this is bad”, Toye muttered collapsing down on the ground again but he didn’t hear her familiar and comforting snuffling. His throat tightened and a horror greater than the one about his leg grew in his chest. In denial he muttered her name again as he looked around still lying down. But it wasn’t until he got up on an elbow again that he saw her.  
  
“Jody...” Toye whispered with slowly widening eyes. His familiar boar who had always been following him, marching through everything with her thick tough skin. Always with an attitude of that nothing could hurt her, but now she was lying down in the snow with a gaping wound in her side. Dust was slowly drifting up from the wound and for a second it looked like she wasn’t breathing. “Jody..!”  
  
He had to get to her. She had to be breathing. Without even looking he grabbed his rifle and used it to crawl forward to her despite the pain that had started to blossom in his leg. He had to get to her. Everything would be fine if he just could get to her.  
  
“Medic! Jody! MEDIC!”

  
 **William Guarnere** \- **Roz** (Wolverine)  
  
_“Medic!”_  
  
“ _Is that Joe?_ ”  
  
“ _Yeah I think so_ ”  
  
Bill and Roz had hurried to the scene and Bill had thought he was prepared for whatever he was going to see. But he still had to stop for a second to be able to take it in. Toye was crawling in the snow leaving a trace of blood behind him while Jody was lying still on her side with dust softly leaving her body.  
  
“Shit, Joe”, Bill muttered as he hurried up to him and heard the familiar sound of the German’s artillery starting over again.  
  
“No! Look after Jody!” Toye shouted reaching out for his daemon as Bill got up to him. But he didn’t have much strength left and had to let Bill take him under his arms while he grunted in pain.  
  
“Roz will take care of her!” Bill shouted back and threw a quick glance to his daemon. As he had known she was already next to Toye’s daemon. But he didn’t have much time to look how they were doing as he heard Buck’s voice shouting at them and the ground started to shake underneath them. And then the world exploded around them.  
  
Next he knew his leg was looking like he had put it into a machine and Roz limped up to collapse next to him. Dust trickled from one of her legs but she laid her head upon his other leg and he could look into her familiar eyes. He saw the spark that was still in them, and all of a sudden he wasn’t worried.  
  
“They got us Roz”, he grinned clenching his teeth as his body started to notice the pain and trembled.  
  
“You mean they got you, I’m fine”, Roz muttered stubbornly huffing and Bill almost barked a laugh clenching his fist in her rough fur. The contact comforted them both.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Facts:  
> Bonnie means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century. 
> 
> The name Jody is a diminutive of Joseph, it is more common than what you might think to name the daemon after some version of the human's name. 
> 
> Roz is a short form of Rosamund (among other names) which is derived from the Germanic elements hros "horse" and mund "protection". Meanwhile William is from the Germanic name Willahelm, which was composed of the elements wil "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection". They are both very protective of those they care about.


	5. Don Malarkey, Skip and Hoobler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of Fergie, Jessie and Happy.  
> (warning this is not a happy chapter)

**  
** **Donald Malarkey** \- **Fergie** (Squirrel)  
  
“Don”, a soft voice whined in his ear. Malarkey blinked slowly before he found himself again and grunted lowly to show that he heard her.  
  
“Is Jody and Roz going to be fine?” Fergie spoke low holding onto his shoulder like she didn’t want to interrupt the silence.  
  
“Yes”, Malarkey answered after a moment and looked down on the letter from Bill and Toye again. He had disappeared there for a moment after reading the letter. He could feel Fergie sag in relief on his shoulder and she slowly crawled underneath his collar so she could lie around his neck. It was an old comforting gesture he recognized from their childhood. Her thick soft tail tipped up touching his jaw in a slight comforting petting motion.  
  
“Good, I don’t want to lose anyone else”, she whispered morosely.  
  
Malarkey thought that they didn’t have anyone else left to lose by now. But he didn’t say it out loud, he knew that Fergie was thinking the same thing. He was becoming a bit more aware of the world by her soothing motion with her tail and he returned the gesture with a hand softly stroking her fur.  
  
“We got each other Fergie”, he whispered back.  
  
“Always.”

  
**Warren H. Muck** \- **Jessie** (Fox)  
  
“You’re a troublemaker, aren’t you?” A voice spoke up from behind Malarkey. He frowned and wondered if that was a gibe at his hair color and Fergie’s color as she was a red squirrel. He turned around prepared with a comeback but he suddenly stopped when he noticed two things - one, that grin and two, the similar grin on the red fox next to the man.  
  
“Well, it takes one to know one”, Malarkey said rather amused with a raised eyebrow at the fox.  
  
“Ha!” The red fox exclaimed looking really amused at her human’s expense as she looked up at the stranger. He didn’t look very hurt either but instead grinned wider.  
  
“I’m Warren Muck, but call me Skip”, the man said and stretched out a hand for him to shake as he nodded to the fox next to him. “This is Jessie.”  
  
“I’m Don Malarkey, this is Fergie”, Don answered already feeling like he was going to like this man and took his hand as Fergie preened on his shoulder. “And yes, that is my name.”  
  
He added that last thing when he saw Skip’s raised eyebrow as he was used to people’s reaction. But they became friends and despite the size difference between Fergie and Jessie they also became fast friends. It wasn’t uncommon that when you saw one of them you soon saw the other one too, that was true to both the humans and the daemons. Don and Skip liked to laugh and joke around while the daemons liked to run and play together.  
  
“Argh! She got me, Don!” Fergie yelled dramatically and they glanced over to see her lying in Jessies jaws with her hands on her chest like she was dying. “Don’t think about me, save yourself!”  
  
Jessie was standing there quite calmly and Don could see that she was holding the squirrel daemon very carefully but looked pleased with her wagging tail.  
  
“Ah, Skip, you owe me a new daemon”, Don poked at Skip with a small grin playing in the corner of his lips.  
  
“Aw, well, I can probably find another squirrel for you”, Skip quipped back. “Won’t make any difference.”  
  
Fergie squawked in protest and then proceeded quickly to complain that Jessie’s drool had ruined her fur - “I’m not drooling!”  
  
Or at least they were friends until that day in the forest when everything disappeared in a single second.

  
**Donald Hoobler** \- **Happy** (Unspecific terrier-breed)  
  
They had seen it happen before but you never got used to it. The first sign of how bad it was, was when the dust started to rise from those familiar tipped ears of Hoobler’s daemon. Happy whined lowly with her eyes glued on Hoobler’s quickly paling face. Lip shouted louder for the doc as Happy squeezed up to lie down on Hoobler’s chest. Buck ordered the others to warm him up with coats they put over Hoobler and Happy. Bundled up with her human Happy gave Hoobler’s jaw a couple of licks. It seemed to calm him down a little bit though he was shaking. They all got a terrible feeling about what was about to happen as the panic grew and Roe finally arrived to focus on the wounded leg and where the blood came from.  
  
“Stay with us! Take it easy”, someone shouted ignoring the dust that was slippering up in the air. But soon Hoobler’s eyes got unfocused and with a last jerk of his body they heard a whisper of his name with a sigh before the coats that had been lying on top of the daemon suddenly sank down and more dust than before floated out up into the air. There was nothing left but creasing on the coats that showed something had been lying there only seconds ago.  
  
“Doc… Doc!” Roe finally looked up and stopped when he realized he didn’t see Happy anywhere and Hoobler’s chest was still.  
  
You never got used to how something that had been there only seconds ago, just as tangible as yourself and your own daemon, disappeared like it had never existed. It made you eerily aware of how evanescent your own daemon was and how everything could change in a moment. And it happened every day, every time someone died - it was a miracle that people kept fighting.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Facts:  
> Fergie is a feminine form of Fergus, which is a Irish/Scottish name. 
> 
> Jessie is a variant of Jesse which possibly means "gift". Who wants to bet that Skip played cowboy and Jesse James with Jessie as a kid?
> 
> Happy is quite a dog-like name, Hoobler's family named their daemons with more like pet names than human names. And Hoobler definitely wanted to name her Happy.


	6. Bull, Martin and Babe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of Millie, Jane and Edie

 

 **  
Denver Randleman** \- " **Millie" Millicent** (American Bulldog)  
  
“Oh, and over there is Millie and Bull”, Luz grinned and pointed at Bull and Millie in wrong turn as he said their names to introduce them to a new replacement.  
  
“What are you saying about our fine sergeant Luz?” Skip huffed trying to look offended but had a hard time as Malarkey sniggered quietly next to him. “It sounds like you’re implying he looks like his daemon?”  
  
“Oh I’m sorry”, Luz spoke up loud in Bull’s direction while he continued to talk to the replacement. “I didn’t mean to just imply it, no one looks more like his daemon than what Bull does.”  
  
Bull and Millie huffed at the same time and only succeeded to make the others crack up even more.  
  
Like Bull his Millicent, known as Millie, was a large figure that you couldn’t not notice. They might’ve not talked a lot but when they did people listened. And when they went MIA people definitely noticed it like a part of their body was missing. They were a stable reassuring presence in the platoon and many took a breath of relief when they saw the jeep with Bull and Millie returning in it. Martin’s Jane even licked Millie’s nose in relief and joy.

  
 **John Martin** \- **Jane** (Grey Wolf)  
  
People might’ve thought of Martin and Jane as quiet and grouchy. Their stares alone were enough to make a hardened soldier squirm, and together their stares could probably make anyone confess to what they were hiding under their bed mattresses. But there were moments when you saw who they really were. Lip could recall when Martin came up to him before the D-day about Guarnere’s brother who had been killed. Lip had told him to tell Bill but secretly he was a bit touched by the caring side he saw in them in that moment. Martin hadn’t shown a lot but Jane had been hanging her head with worried look in her yellow eyes. Lip didn’t think Jane would confess to it but she had looked surprised and actually comforted when Nanna had licked her and encouraged her - “It will be okay.” But he had to admit that it was a bit funny when Martin squirmed and Jane coughed, both of them embarrassed.

  
 **Edward Heffron** \- " **Edie" Edith** (American Robin)  
  
Most new replacements weren’t accepted so easily into the company. Some of them had daemons that weren’t very adaptable for battle, and despite it was the same among the veterans some used that excuse to keep distance from them. But Babe was an exception thanks to Guarnere and that they came from same city. Babe’s daemon Edith, known as Edie, weren’t at first sight an animal made for battle either. A bird with a brilliant red chest that almost glowed in the grey winter forest. One early morning when the most of them were slumbering trying to catch sleep and the ones sitting on guard was longing for the moment when they would be able to switch shift and go to sleep. A sudden soft cheering trill sneaked up around the trees and in the foxholes. For one moment it was like everyone stopped, both allies and enemies. But soon the German’s artillery began again though and the peacefulness that had stolen one quiet minute was broken.  
  
“Why?” Roe shuffled up to Babe afterwards to ask as a forgotten curiosity burned in him as they all had soon figured out who the guilty part was. Babe had already been teased mercilessly about it. In answer to Roe's question Babe just shrugged sullenly and pointed at his daemon that was burrowing on his shoulder looking like she was pouting if a bird could look like it.  
  
“I just thought it would cheer up everyone”, she murmured sounding quite disappointed that it didn’t earn the outcome she had wanted. Babe just rolled his eyes and if it wasn’t so cold Roe thought he would’ve been blushing. Roe quickly hid his amused smile in his collar.  
  
“You did”, Bonnie said softly from Roe’s shoulder and Roe saw Edie perk up with her whole body.  
  
“Really? I thought so too!” Her tail twitched in a more enthusiastic motion looking invigorated while Babe rolled his eyes again and groaned - “Don’t encourage her..!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Facts:  
> Millicent come from the Germanic name Amalasuintha, composed of the elements amal "work, labour" and swinth "strong". Who does that remind you of?
> 
> Jane is a feminine name of John, another example of naming daemons with versions of the human's names. 
> 
> Edith comes from the Old English name Eadgyð, derived from the elements ead "wealth, fortune" and gyð "war". While Edward means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard".


	7. Harry Welsh, Webster and Liebgott

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of Elain, Rosemary and Jenny

**  
Harry Welsh** \- **Elain** (Fox terrier-mix)  
  
“I want light and noise discipline from now on. That means no talking, no smoking…” Welsh spoke loudly so everyone would hear.  
  
“And no playing grab-fanny with the man in front of you, Luz!” Elain put in just as loud as Welsh making the men laugh.  
  
Both Harry Welsh and his daemon Elain were easygoing people that people liked at the first meeting. Elain’s curly fur was even curlier than Welsh’s hair if possible and they were both full of happy energy. Both had their favorite subject to talk about though - Kitty. Welsh loved to talk about his fiancée and Elain wasn’t far behind to talk about the woman’s daemon. When they had been drinking a little too much everyone knew to avoid that subject as they could happily sit alone and talk to each other about them like the other didn’t already knew everything. Nixon swore that he had once left a room with only them and when he returned after an hour, they had been sitting in the exact same position Welsh still talking completely infatuated about Kitty’s eyes while Elain drawled admiringly about her daemon’s fur without even really listening to each other.

  
**David Webster** \- " **Mary" Rosemary** (Albatross)  
  
Webster had always loved his daemon’s beautiful shape. He felt like she was embodying their longing to get out on the sea and to get away from everything. Rosemary, also known as Mary, liked to talk about their future dream to get a boat and travel on the sea. When the war started, they saw a chance to get away from everything and try something new. He had just not realized how foreign Mary’s shape was - birds weren’t very common usually and he hadn’t met another albatross daemon yet so far. People had looked a bit strange at them for that. She was built for long travels over water and it got a bit hard for them to be so deep into land for so long. They couldn’t deny that it had been nice to get to England again and to be closer to water again. But eventually they had to return and they had a chance to redeem themselves that night when they had to cross the river. Mary had easily been able to help them cross it quietly with her barely need to flap her wings and had helped the men who had fallen into the water.  
  
“You’re a really good swimmer”, Liebgott’s Jenny said thoughtfully to Mary the next day. They were all surprised by that, even Liebgott, but he had helped Webster up onto the truck after that. Maybe they could find a place to feel like they belonged after all.

  
**Joseph Liebgott** \- **Jenny** (Raccoon)  
  
Lieb and his Jenny were a couple chattering sarcastic beings who were thick as thieves even for a human and his daemon. When things went missing people could always turn to Lieb to ask him where they were as it was quite likely that Jenny had been sneaking around ransacking unguarded jackets, packs, and everything she came across for things she wanted to examine. But that didn’t mean they would get it back as Lieb usually denied all knowledge even if Jenny was sitting right next to him curiously looking into her loot. And it was no point trying to take it from her as Lieb was always prepared to fight if someone asked for it while Jenny wasn't shy of using dirty tricks to support him in fights. But usually Jenny got quickly tired of her loot and left it behind for people to find it again in suspicious piles so the others quickly learned to wait until the daemon threw their things aside. Except for the cigs, those Jenny knew Lieb loved and she always gave them to him, and the food. She wasn’t stupid.  
  
The others had seen and knew how protective Lieb was of Jenny and how he always had her back. But the day when they found the concentration camp was probably the first time when they saw that same side in Jenny. They didn’t really take notice at first as they were all too busy at the sight of the camp and the victims in it. Winters had asked Liebgott to translate and in hindsight he could understand the daemon’s reaction when she hissed at him. In the moment they were all too distracted to really notice though Winters was surprised as despite their nature they had always been good soldiers and obeyed his orders. She had never done that before, but Liebgott had hushed her and done his job. But he noticed that Jenny never left Liebgott alone while they were in the camp, staying all the time curled up around his neck on his shoulders closer than usual. It wasn’t until when Liebgott had to explain to the starving victims that they had to stop eating and stay in the camp, when Winters suddenly understood her reaction. He was slightly ashamed he hadn’t thought of it before but when he saw Liebgott collapsing down on a seat on the truck with Jenny crawling up in his lap looking like she was chittering low words the whole time to him he wondered if he shouldn’t had found someone else to do it. The others also noticed it but decided unanimously to give him space, Jenny’s look when they got too close was enough to make anyone back off. Jenny was guarding Lieb just as fiercely as Lieb did her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Facts:  
> Elain means "fawn" in Welsh.
> 
> Rosemary can be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea".
> 
> Jenny come from Jane which is the feminine form of John. John in turn is the English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "YAHWEH is gracious", from the roots יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and חָנַן (chanan) meaning "to be gracious".
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> Please enjoy and review!


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